A communication network, such as a telephone or data network, may exchange data wirelessly. To connect to the network, each device may send control messages to register and authenticate the device for permission to send data over the network. A network controller may use the control messages to manage the flow of the data between devices in the network.F
In some situations, there may be a surge in control message registration requests, due, for example, to an increase in the number of control messages for registering “smart” phones or other complex devices or due to disruptions or changes in the network itself. Traffic surges may also be triggered by “disruptions” or changes in the network itself. For example, when a connected network entity, such as a visiting location register or a mobile switching center, temporarily disconnects and re-connects, a surge of registration requests may accumulate from network subscribers attempting to access that network entity. Such traffic surges may increase network traffic by, for example, 500% to 700%, and may backlog the network controller, which may be unable to recover and process the control message requests efficiently. This may result in a failure to access the communications network.
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